Guwahati: The Congress on Monday, 6 April, approached the Election Commission, seeking cancellation of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s nomination, alleging that his poll affidavit did not include details of his wife’s purported overseas assets.
The complaint follows a set of questions raised by the party a day earlier, asking whether Sarma’s wife or family holds property in Dubai, operates companies in Wyoming in the United States, or has investments routed through shell firms. The Chief Minister has rejected these allegations.
The representation was submitted to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar by Bidisha Neog, Sarma’s rival candidate from Jalukbari. The Congress leader also called for a probe into the alleged omission of information related to foreign assets.
In the complaint, Neog claimed that the affidavit does not mention any assets held abroad, despite legal requirements under Form 26. She cited documents from the Dubai Land Department, alleging that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, is linked to ownership of two properties located in Al Barsha South Fourth in Dubai.
She further stated that failure to declare these assets amounts to a violation of mandatory disclosure rules and argued that such omission could make the nomination invalid.
Neog urged the Election Commission to initiate an inquiry into the matter, reject Sarma’s nomination under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and consider legal action under relevant sections dealing with false declarations.
Separately, the Congress has also moved the Enforcement Directorate, requesting registration of a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, over alleged undisclosed assets connected to Sarma’s wife in Dubai and Wyoming.
Congress Media and Publicity Chairman Pawan Khera on Sunday alleged that Sarma’s wife possesses multiple foreign passports and holds properties in Dubai, along with investments linked to shell companies in the United States.
Responding to the allegations, the Chief Minister dismissed the claims on Monday, stating that they were based on fabricated information circulated by a Pakistani social media group.
In response to Sarma’s statements, Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi demanded he swear on the Bhagavad Gita to confirm the truth of the allegations